Johnson County Veterans Day event lists where to park

November 9, 2017

Johnson County residents planning to attend the 2017 Johnson County Veterans Day observance on Saturday, Nov. 11, are asked to park at the Tomahawk Ridge Community Center, 11902 Lowell Avenue, Overland Park.

The center is adjacent to the Korean War Veterans Memorial where the public event will take place, beginning at 11 a.m. Parking spaces closest to the memorial are reserved for the disabled. Additional parking is available at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 7851 West 119th Street, which is located across Lowell Avenue directly east of the memorial site.

There will be 375 chairs for the Veterans Day event honoring all veterans from all wars.

Special guests will be veterans of the Korean War, including 32 veterans who will receive Ambassador for Peace Medals by the Republic of Korea, commonly called South Korea. Consul General Jong-Kook Lee from the Republic of Korea Consulate Office in Chicago will present the medals and be among the featured speakers.

Sgt. Roger Martinez of the 35th Infantry Division of the Kansas Army National Guard will deliver the keynote speech.

Other speakers will include Lt. Colonel Kyunghwan Jung, South Korean Army Liaison officer to the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth, and Ed Eilert, chairman of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners, who will serve as emcee for the program.

The program will feature:

Music by the American Legion Band of Greater Kansas City, including prelude music starting at 10:30 a.m.

presentation of colors by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Honor Guard;

placement of memorial wreaths by local veteran organizations;

playing of “Echo Taps” and bagpipe music; and

rifle salute.

The celebration marks Johnson County’s 31st anniversary of sponsoring an annual Veterans Day observance. The county event has occurred at veteran memorial sites throughout Johnson County, including the cities of Olathe, Overland Park, Merriam, Lenexa, Gardner and the New Century AirCenter.